Evaluation of Silicate White Thermal Control Coatings in a Simulated

Thermal control coatings are used to protect spacecrafts from space environment and applied on their outer surfaces. In the present work, coatings were made by ZnO, TiO2 and produced pigments into potassium silicate binder and exposured to simulated space environment. Oxygen plasma exposure tests were conducted in a DC plasma chamber. Electron beam with 70 Gy absorption dose and thermal cycling in the region -75-100 °C were used to simulation of electron irradiation and thermal cycling. The results indicated that solar absorptance and thermal emittance were stable and observed no surface morphology change and mass lose. The produced pigment was stable as well as ZnO in this condition and well substitute of ZnO.